Illini Equestrians Constitution Last Updated: Fall 2015 Article I: Name Illini Equestrians of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Article II: Purpose The Illini Equestrians seek to further student knowledge of, appreciation for, and participation within the equine industry through social, educational, and competitive activities. Article III: Membership Section Two: All students attending the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, or students who are a part of the Parkland Pathways program, who are interested in equine related activities are eligible for membership. Membership is granted to those who have paid club dues. Article IV: Officers The elected officers shall be: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Apprentice Treasurer 1 2 Fundraising Chairs 1 2 Social Chairs 1 2 ACES Representatives Historian/Webmaster English Show Coordinator Prospective Student and Alumni Section Two: The English and Western Team Coaches may choose to appoint Co Coaches as deemed necessary. These positions are not considered part of the executive committee,
and they do not have to be UIUC undergraduate students. Section Three : Section Four: Section Five: Section Six: Section Seven: Section Eight: Section Nine: The term of office shall be for two semesters, fall and spring. No officer shall hold more than two officer positions at the same time, unless one of the positions held is Historian or ACES Representative. The executive committee is composed of the regular elected officers named above. The executive committee shall meet prior to each regular meeting and as many other times as deemed necessary to plan and conduct the business of the club. Every executive officer is required to attend or participate in a portion of every club event, unless they have an excusable absence deemed appropriate by the president. Excessive absences (excused or unexcused) may lead to the officer being forced to relinquish their position. The officers shall be held responsible for all of the records of their office until such records are turned over to their successor. The treasurer and president must attend a mandatory treasurer s and president s meeting given by the Registered Student Organization (RSO) Office at the start of the year. The president, vice president, treasurer, and apprentice treasurer must attend an additional RSO SORF workshop at least once per semester. Impeachment of an officer requires a ¾ vote of a working quorum of the executive board. Grounds for impeachment of an officer will go as follows: Not fulfilling said duties Having absence as previously described
Section Ten: Section Eleven : Section Twelve: At the beginning of each semester each officer is required to generate a list of obtainable goals for themselves and for the club and be submitted to the president. Throughout their term in office each officers will work to their goals set forth at the beginning of the semester. Number of officers for social, fundraising, and ACES representatives will be based on a year to year basis depending on how many members run for positions and/or how many members are active in the club. The President and Secretary are the only officers allowed to make changes to the constitution with the approval of the executive committee. Article V: Elections Section Two: Nominations shall take place one meeting prior to elections. Elections shall take place during the March meeting of the spring semester. The elected shall serve with the incumbents for the remaining of March, April, and May as apprentices (with the exception of Treasurer See Section Three). The elected shall take full responsibility upon adjournment of spring classes. The president will be grandfathered in from the previous year s vice president. In the case where the President can and would still like to remain President, an election for the future president and the vice president will be administered. In a case where the previous vice president cannot fulfill these duties, one will be elected as such. The candidate for president must have previously held an office for one term. In such an instance that this requirement is not able to be met, candidate must be approved by a 2/3 vote of an executive committee.
Section Three: Section Four : Candidate for Vice President and Apprentice Treasurer must be a student on campus for their term of Vice President and President, or Apprentice Treasurer and Treasurer, for they will be grandfathered in as President and Treasurer respectively after fulfilling their duties as a Vice President and Apprentice Treasurer. In such an instance that this requirement is not able to be met, candidate must be approved by a 2/3 vote of an executive committee. Elections shall be by majority vote. Article VI: Duties of the Officers The president is in charge of coordination of the club, presides at all meetings, and is ultimately responsible for club activities. S/he must know all the duties of all the other officers, and must have good interpersonal skills and be willing to learn the process involved in running an organization at this university. The president is responsible for overseeing all operations of the club including, but not limited to, events, fundraising, and interactions with the university. The president is responsible for making sure that all officers are doing their jobs, and they will take appropriate action if a problem arises. The president reserves rooms and locations for officer meetings. The president must be willing and able to help in club activities; along with being open to questions, comments, and suggestions by officers or other club members. In the spring, the newly elected president is responsible for reserving a spot for the fall semester Quad Day. President is responsible for setting long term and short term club goals and working towards them. The president is responsible for organizing ExploreACES with the Prospective Student and Alumni Ambassador. The president is also listed on the club bank accounts, so s/he is allowed to deposit money into the account if needed. The president is responsible for organizing IHSA Registration if an English or Western Team Co Coach is not appointed. The President is in
charge of planning and organizing club banquet at the end of the year. Section Two: Section Three : The Vice President s main responsibility is to organize and arrange general meetings at least once per month. He or she will keep a working relationship with speakers (send thank you notes, keep in contact, etc.). The vice president will help in making primary decisions along with the other officers. The Treasurer is responsible for the overall financial stability and records of the club. The treasurer is responsible for writing checks. The treasurer is responsible for collecting and depositing checks into these accounts as well. S/he is responsible for requesting money from SORF, keeping a balance of what checks s/he writes, which accounts the checks are coming from, and what the check was specifically for. The treasurer is also involved in financial decisions based on current facts from the account. The treasurer is responsible for collecting club dues and keeping a list of who has paid. S/he is also responsible for collecting and depositing money from delegated officers for which they had collected money. These collections include, but are not limited to, show fees and IHSA dues, fundraising money, clothing money, and event money. The treasurer is responsible for keeping a detailed spreadsheet of how much money was deposited, from whom it was deposited, and for what it was deposited. The treasurer should deposit money on a weekly basis unless there is no money to be deposited. After each deposit, the treasurer should keep a detailed list of the current balances and report the balances to the other treasurer, the president, and the secretary for bookkeeping. At the start of the each semester, the treasurer should present a semester budget to the officer board during an officer meeting time specified by the president. The budget should take previous years expenses into account and reflect a prediction of what the future semester will entail. At the budget meeting, the current officer board will discuss and approve the budget, and once approved, the budget will act as a guide/plan for semester expenses. All
deviations from the budget should be recorded throughout the semester in order to maintain records and be used in creating future budgets. All reimbursements must be approved by the treasurer before the officer moves forward in making any purchases. Every two weeks the treasurer and apprentice treasurer will meet with the president and vice president to give an update on apprentice treasurer s learning progress and a forecast of what is next for the apprentice treasurer to learn. Section Four : Section Five: Section Six : The Apprentice Treasurer will spend the year learning and assisting the treasurer in managing the club funds. The apprentice treasurer must meet all of the Article IV officer requirements, and will be grandfathered in as treasurer in the next year. This treasurer is also involved in making financial decisions. The secretary of the club is responsible for keeping the officers and the club organized and informed. The secretary is responsible for taking minutes at each general meetings and officer meetings, maintaining the club s listserv, as well as promoting communication among the club and all of its officers. The secretary is also responsible for sending reminder emails to the club and officer board. If any officer or club member has a question about contact information or past information relating to the club, the secretary should be able to respond with the correct information. The secretary will work in conjunction with the President and the Prospective Students and Alumni Ambassador to organize Quad Day during the fall semester. The secretary is also the keeper of the club Constitution, and must keep past versions as well as the present one. The fundraising chair(s) are in charge of organizing monthly fundraisers for the club. They must also work with the treasurer(s) to ensure that the club funds are adequate at all times. It is their responsibility to collect money earned and give it to the treasurer. The fundraising chairs must organize and record club member participation for their
fundraising events. The fundraising chairs must report their expenses and total earnings for each fundraising event to the treasurers. Section Seven: Section Eight: Section Nine : The ACES Representative(s) are responsible for attending monthly ACES Council meetings. They are to represent the club at these meetings and relay any relevant news from the college back to the club in the form of monthly reports. The historian is responsible making sure that photographs are taken at the club events, shows, and meetings. The Historian should collect photos throughout the year and make a slide show at the end of each school year to be presented at the banquet. Historian is to maintain the bulletin board in the Animal Science Laboratory, as well as the display board used for Quad Day, ExplorACES, and ACES New Student Welcome. The Historian is also responsible for the maintenance of the club website and posting team announcements in the Department of Animal Sciences newsletter. The historian is responsible for purchasing gifts at the end of the year for the English and Western Coaches. The social chair/s is/are in charge of organizing monthly social events for the club. These events may be in the form of extracurricular activities, field trips, etc. They are also responsible for the clothing orders: collecting designs, ordering, and distributing club apparel. This includes, but is not limited to, club jackets, sweatshirts, and t shirts. The social chair/s is/are also responsible for maintaining and updating all of the club s social media accounts including Instagram, Twitter, and also contributing to the team Facebook account/s along with President, Vice President, Historian, Prospective Student and Alumni Ambassador has access to the Facebook page.
Section Ten: The English Show Coordinator is responsible for keeping track of who is going to the show, what they will be competing in, if they can drive or not, and if their show fees have been paid. The coordinator is also responsible for reserving hotel rooms and arranging cars for travel to and from the horse show, along with providing directions to and from the horse shows for the drivers. If Terri Foreman is bringing horses to the show it is the English Show Coordinator s responsibility to make sure team members get horses ready for the class they are in. The English Show Coordinator is also responsible for ensuring that all team members are rotating holding horses and helping get them ready or putting them away. On days when UIUCET is Co Hosting a show the English Show Coordinator is responsible for making sure our team is helping the hosting school as much as possible. The English Show Coordinator must be present at all season shows, post season is not required but encouraged. The English show coordinator is not required to show. If the English Show Coordinator cannot make it to a show (due to Illness, death in family, wedding, exam, etc.) they must notify the president and English Team Coach and have another team member take over his/her duties for that weekend. Not responsible for collecting money. Send out email for intent three week prior to the horse show. Section Eleven: The Prospective Students and Alumni Ambassador is responsible for new member events and informing alumni of events. New member events include Quad Day, ACES New Student Welcome, and ExploreACES. S/he along with the president makes sure that flyer's are printed, President usually prints the flyer's that are made by this person, and makes sure that other officers are coming to help with the event. Also,
make sure that a historian brings the board to the events. S/he also posts updates and pictures in the Alumni Facebook group, emails alumni newsletters, and email alumni about fundraisers. This position is also in charge of making the newsletters for the club. Preferably one for each season, fall, winter, spring, and summer. These newsletters are usually posted in Illini Equestrians Facebook group, Alumni Facebook group, posted on the website, and emailed out to everyone in Alumni Database.The Prospective Student and Alumni Ambassador is responsible for keeping up with and reaching out to the students that fill out our prospective student form on the website. Section Twelve: All officers must attend officer meetings; if they cannot attend they are required to inform the president and the secretary that they will not be able to attend, along with any information that will be needed for the officer meeting. All officers must attend all general meetings; if they can not attend they must inform the president. For any event that the club organizes and puts on, three officers must be committed to going, however, all officers should try their best to attend. If any officer or club member has a question/concern with the well being of the club, a notification should be sent to the president. From there, the president will take appropriate action in organizing a meeting and addressing the situation. If an officer fails to fulfill their responsibilities, the president and the rest of the officers will discuss and come to a mutual decision about the situation. Article VII: Meetings General meetings are to be set by the president and vice president and others who
deem them to be necessary. There will be a minimum of one meeting per month. Article VII: Fees Club dues are $25 plus applicable fees per school year. This is subject to revision by the executive committee. The Treasurer(s) are responsible for collecting dues. Article VII: Mailing List Section Two: Once a member pays his/her dues, that person will be on the listserv mailing list for the remainder of the year. If a member fails to pay his/her dues by the due date then his/her name will be removed from the mailing list. Alumni Show Team Members who want to be included in our horse show carpools and hotel rooms must pay club dues and will be added to the listserv. Article VII: Horse Shows Section One : Section Two: Section Three : Every club member has the opportunity to represent the club at Intercollegiate Horse Shows. The team coaches will decide which club member competes in which divisions. Signing up and collecting of money for the horse shows will go as follows: Intent 14 days before the horse show Paid 7 days before the horse show Practice the week before the horse show Section Four: Payments for horse show entry fees are non refundable unless extenuating circumstances approved by the treasurers apply. Fees paid can be credited to future shows., but if that person does not
use said credit by the end of the academic year, then that money is forfeited to the club. Section Five: Section Six: Section Seven: Section Nine: In order to show on the Western Show Team, members must pay club dues, register through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, and pay coaching fees to Meg Tyler. Team members must take a minimum of two lessons prior to each horse show in order to compete. In order to show on the English Show Team members must pay club dues, register through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, and pay the English Show Team Semester Fee. The English Show Team Semester Fee is determined by Terri Foreman in order to support the upkeep of her horses that are used for the team. In order to show, every English team member must arrive at the hotel the night before the horse show. This can be changed at the discretion of the coach. English Team Co Coach is responsible for maintaining a good working relationship with Commonwealth Farm. S/he is also responsible for organizing and teaching practices, attending shows, and maintaining a fun riding environment for the English team. The practices for both teams are open to any club member that has paid their dues. The head coaches are responsible for the final decisions for which riders ride in which classes at the horse shows, and informing them of this information. The English Team Co Coach is responsible for organizing IHSA Registration at the beginning of the semester with the Western Co Coach. If one is not appointed then these duties are the responsibility of the President. The English Team Co Coach, as stated in Article IV Section Two, will be appointed by the English Team Coach (Terri Foreman) as deemed necessary. The Co Coach s responsibilities would include assisting the Coach with any of the duties listed above.
Section Ten : Western Team Coach is responsible for maintaining a good working relationship with their current stable. S/he is also responsible for organizing and teaching practices, attending shows, and maintaining a fun riding environment for the Western team. The practices for both teams are open to any club member that has paid their dues. The coaches are responsible for the final decisions for which riders ride in which classes at the horse shows, and informing them of this information. Coach sends entries to the horse show hosts. The Western Co Coach is responsible for organizing IHSA Registration at the beginning of the semester with the English Co Coach. If co coaches are not appointed, then these duties are the responsibility of the President The Western Team Co Coach, as stated in Article IV Section Two, will be appointed by the Western Team Coach (Meg Tyler) as deemed necessary. The Co Coach s responsibilities would include assisting the Coach with any of the duties listed above. The Western Team Co Coach would also be responsible for coordinating carpooling arrangements and hotel rooms (if necessary) for the western IHSA horse shows.